Drain structure for a commerical laundry machine

ABSTRACT

A commercial laundry machine including a rotatable casing having dump valves for discharging fluid from the bottom thereof is provided with an improved drain structure. Movably mounted drain chutes serve to transfer discharged washing fluids from the casing to a rear floor gutter, and are moved out of the way to clear the region beneath the machine for unloading of laundry.

United States Patent [151 3, Toth [451 Aug. 8, 1972 [54] DRAIN STRUCTURE FOR A 2,040,417 5/1936 White ..68/210 COMMERICAL LAUNDRY MACHINE 2,575,673 11/1951 Miller ..68/210 [72] Inventor; Alex Tom, Lincolnwood, m 2,649,705 8/1953 Ott ..68/208 X 73 Assignee; m Corporation, Chicago n FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 22 Filed; Ju|y 3 7 1,207,165 8/1959 France ..68/208 PP 166,928 Primary ExaminerWilliam 1. Price Related US Application Data Attorney-Mason, Kohlehmainen, Rathburn & Wyss [62] Division of Ser. No. 22,508, March 25, 1970, [57] ABSTRACT A commercial laundry machine including a rotatable casing having dump valves for discharging fluid from (g1 the bottom thereof is provided with an improved drain [58] Field I208 210 structure. Movably mounted drain chutes serve to transfer discharged washing fluids from the casing to a rear floor gutter, and are moved out of the way to [56] References Cited clear the region beneath the machine for unloading of UNITED STATES PATENTS y- Hullings ..68/208 x 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAus 8 m2 snEEnnF- III INVENTOR: ALEX TOTH H mm", rajcJ qi l Raf -6cm W s s ATTORNEYS Pmmmm a ma 3.681.952

SHEET 2 BF 3 INVENTOR v ALEX 70TH DRAIN STRUCTURE FOR A COMMERICAL LAUNDRY MACHINE This is a division of US. application Ser. No. 22,508, filed Mar. 25, 1970, now US. Pat. No. 3,613,406, dated Oct. 19, 1971. Reference may be had to that patent for a description of features of the structure disclosed herein not material to the invention of the present application. I

The present invention relates to improvements in drain structures for use with commercial laundry apparatus.

Commercial laundry machines of the type including inner structure for holding a washing load immersed in washing liquids contained within a surrounding outer casing are well known. Normally such machines discharge both washing fluids and laundry loads at different times in the same region beneath the machine. This can give rise to problems because a drain structure such as a floor gutter or other fluid conduit located directly beneath the machine may interfere with the unloading of laundry by, for example, obstructing the movement of a laundry cart beneath the casing.

Accordingly, objects of the present invention are to provide a novel retractable drain arrangement for a laundry machine; and to provide a drain arrangement which does not obstruct the region beneath the machine when not in use.

In brief, a commercial laundry machine constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention may comprise washing structure including an outer casing mounted for rotation alternatively to locate fluid discharge dump valves or laundry discharge doors at the bottom thereof. A floor gutter or other fluid receiving means is preferably located beneath and to the rear of the washer and a chute means is used for transferring discharged fluids from beneath the machine to the fluid receiving means. In accordance with the invention the chute means is mounted for movement between an inactive position wherein it does not obstruct the region beneath the machine and an operating position wherein the inlets of the chutes are aligned with the dump valve assemblies and the outlets of the chutes are aligned with the floor gutter.

The invention together with the above and other objects and advantages may be better understood with reference to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a washer provided with a drain structure constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is aside elevational view of the washer and drain structure of FIG. 1 taken from the left-hand side as viewed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary top view of portions of the drain structure of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional and elevational view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Having reference now to the drawings there is illustrated a commercial laundry apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and designated as a whole by reference numeral 40. In the illustrated arrangement the apparatus 40 comprises a commercial washer, but it should be understood that principles of the invention are applicable as well to apparatus such as washer-extractors, and the like. In general, the washer 40 includes a substantially fluidtight cylindrical casing 44 within which is included structure for washing laundry loads inserted therein. The casing 44 is mounted for rotation on right and left end frames 46 and 48. In order to provide access to the interior of the casing 44 a pair of axially spaced doors 50 are provided. In carrying out washing operations with the washer 40, hot and cold water is mixed with suitable chemicals or the like from a supply header 58 in a mixer section 60, and the resulting washing fluids are channeled to the interior of the casing 44.

The washer 40 is installed in a raised position above a base assembly generally designated as 74 including right and left end frame bases 76 and 78. In order to reduce the overall size of the unit during shipment, the end frame bases 80 and 82 may be detached from the end frames 46 and 48. The end frames 46 and 48 include base plates for supporting the end frames 46 and 48 and thus the casing 44 on the base assembly 74, and more specifically upon cooperating top plates 138 of right and left end frame bases 76 and 78. A channel brace 140 extends between the members 76 and 78 to provide rigidity. Frames 76 and 78 include base plates 142 supported on the floor surface by means of foot plates 144.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a novel drain assembly generally designated by the reference numeral 80. During washing operations, the drain assembly 80 permits the discharge of washing fluids from a pair of dump valve assemblies 82 into a gutter 84 located out of the way at the rear of the washer 40 without permanently obstructing the region beneath the casing 44 where unloading of laundry may most conveniently take place. In general, the drain assembly 80 includes a pair of chutes 532 and 534 movable from an inactive position (FIGS. 1 and 2) wherein they are out of the unloading region beneath the washer 40 to an operating position (FIGS. 3 and 4) wherein the chutes 532 and 534 extend from the dump valve assemblies 82 to the gutter 84. An operating as sembly generally designated as 536 serves selectively to move the chutes 532 and 534 between their respective positions.

More specifically, each chute 532 and 534 includes an inclined segment 538 having a bottom wall 540 and a side wall 542 with a rounded inlet portion adapted to be positioned beneath the corresponding dump valve assembly 82. Upper walls 544 serve to prevent splashing and are provided with circular openings 546 for receiving fluids from the corresponding dump valve assembly 82. The undersides of the bottom walls 540 are reinforced by channel members 548 to enable the chutes to withstand the weight of discharged washing liquids. The lowermost ends of the chutes 532 and 534 are provided with downspout segments 550 adapted to discharge fluids downwardly into the gutter 84 in the operating position of the chutes.

The chutes 532 and 534 are pivotally mounted for rotational movement between their operating and standby positions. Each chute includes a bracket 552 mounted on the chute side wall 542. The bracket 552 is fixed to a pivot shaft 554 rotatably mounted in brackets 556 and 558 (FIG. 4) attached to the channel brace 140.

The operating assembly 536 includes a double acting pneumatic cylinder 560 selectively operated from a source of compressed air in order to move the chutes 532 and 534 between their positions. One end. of the cylinder is pivotally mounted by a pin 562 to a support bracket 564 carried by the brace 140. Piston 566 of the cylinder 564 is attached by a pin 568 to a crank arm 570 fixed to the pivot shaft 554 associated with the chute 532. Conjoint simultaneous movement of the chutes 532 and 534 is caused by a link 572 connected for pivotal movement between a pair of crank arms 574 and 576 fixed to the pivot shafts 554.

In the operating position of the drain assembly 80 as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, fluid from the dump valve assemblies 82 enters the openings 546 of the chutes 532 and 534 and is discharged through the downspout segments 550 into the gutter 84. When the double act ing cylinder 560 is operated to its alternate position shown in broken lines in FIG. 3, the crank arm 570 produces rotation of the corresponding pivot shaft 554 and consequently rotation of the chute 532. Due to the crank arms 574 and 576 and link 572, the chute 534 is rotated simultaneously, and both chutes are moved to the standby or inactive position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and illustrated in broken lines in FIG. 3. Advantageously, in this position the region beneath the washer is unobstructed so that the casing of the washer can be unloaded from the bottom without obstruction. More specifically, after a washing operation, when chutes 532 and 534 are retracted, casing 44 is rotated to locate doors 50 at the bottom of washer 40.' Since the drainassemblies 80 at this time are not located below the casing, unhampered unloading can take place.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with the details of the illustrated embodiment, it should be understood that such details are not intended to limit the invention which is defined in the following claims. 1

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Laundry apparatus comprising in combination a washer body, means supporting said body above a floor surface, means for supplying washing liquids to the interior'of the washer body, at least one dump valve assembly selectively openable to discharge washing liquids from the underside of said body, fluid receiving means located beneath and to the rear of said washer body, a chute having an inlet end and an outlet end, and means mounting said chute for movement with respect to said body between an operating position wherein said inlet end is aligned with said dump valve assembly and said outlet end is aligned with said fluid receiving means and an inactive position.

2. Laundry apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said chute in said inactive position being disposed to the rear of said body.

3. Laundry apparatus as claimed in claim 2, said mounting means comprising a pivot shaft including bracket means on said chute engaging said shaft and mounting said chute for pivotal movement between said operating and inactive positions.

4. Laundry apparatus as claimed in claim 3, comprising two said dump valve assemblies, two said chutes, and means coupled to both said chutes. for moving them simultaneously between their operating and inactive positions. 

1. Laundry apparatus comprising in combination a washer body, means supporting said body above a floor surface, means for supplying washing liquids to the interior of the washer body, at least one dump valve assembly selectively openable to discharge washing liquids from the underside of said body, fluid receiving means located beneath and to the rear of said washer body, a chute having an inlet end and an outlet end, and means mounting said chute for movement with respect to said body between an operating position wherein said inlet end is aligned with said dump valve assembly and said outlet end is aligned with said fluid receiving means and an inactive position.
 2. Laundry apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said chute in said inactive position being disposed to the rear of said body.
 3. Laundry apparatus as claimed in claim 2, said mounting means comprising a pivot shaft including bracket means on said chute engaging said shaft and mounting said chute for pivotal movement between said operating and inactive positions.
 4. Laundry apparatus as claimed in claim 3, comprising two said dump valve assemblies, two said chutes, and means coupled to both said chutes for moving them simultaneously between their operating and inactive positions. 